Bill would aid forest landowners in disasters

The Forest Landowners Association (FLA) announced Jan. 31, that U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., and Terri Sewel, D-Ala., introduced H.R. 655, the Disaster Reforestation Act (DRA), bipartisan legislation designed to allow private forest landowners to recover from the loss of timber destroyed by natural disasters.

The bill, that FLA is championing, would provide economic certainty that is currently lacking by fixing the tax code and allowing forest landowners the ability to replant trees quickly.

"While this is the first of many steps for this legislation, Reps. Carter and Sewell demonstrated how high of a priority DRA is for their constituents by introducing it early in this new session of Congress," said Craig Anderson, FLA's Director of Government Affairs. "The time is now to fix this tax inequity, and I look forward to working with the bill's sponsors to explore all options to get this bill across the finish line."

H.R. 655 was referred to the House Ways and Means Committee for further consideration. FLA is working with the sponsors of the Senate version to introduce their bill in the coming days.